A movie is made or broken by its cast. It’s essential for a film’s success that the right person plays the role. They must be believable, fit the character, and make you feel something. While we wish every casting decision were a slam dunk, there have been some questionable ones throughout the history of cinema. In fact, these divisive decisions have sometimes haunted actors throughout their careers.
It’s time to open the vault of mishaps and explore 10 very divisive casting decisions. In certain cases, the actors chosen did not fit the mold of the iconic character they were about to play. In other cases, the films made controversial decisions by casting individuals who were ethnically incorrect for the roles they played. Some of the actors on this list have acknowledged the error of their ways. Others have not. No matter what, these controversial decisions have had a major impact on film casting forever.
10
George Clooney as Batman
‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
George Clooney in Batman and RobinImage via WB
To the shock of no one, casting Hollywood stars as superheroes is never going to please everyone. Just imagine if George Clooney had been cast as the Caped Crusader in the age of social media! The late ’80s and early ’90s marked the beginning of the superhero blockbuster boom, launched by Tim Burton’s Batman. With Michael Keaton in the title role, one would assume he’d take on the part for years, but his tenure only lasted two films. With a new vision for the franchise, Val Kilmer was cast, but he ultimately decided to appear in only a single film. Thus, the campaign to play Batman was back in play. With Thomas Schumacher requesting William Baldwin, the executives opined for George Clooney, and Schumacher obliged. He believed Clooney could bring a lighter, more human approach to the part. What he brought was, well, George Clooney.
With an already more colorful and comical approach, Batman & Robin provided a stark contrast to the Batman franchise audiences had grown accustomed to. Though the overall film had been widely panned, Clooney’s Bruce Wayne was considered the weakest link. Clooney has since apologized for the film many times in interviews. He’s even stated he won’t let his wife watch the film. His performance was so bad that, once the ’90s Batman iteration was completed, the Christopher Nolan franchise reboot returned to a darker tone. As history has told us, it was always the right direction.
9
Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe
‘The Danish Girl’ (2015)
Eddie Redmayne in The Danish GirlImage via Focus Features
We’ve seen many renowned performers take on exceptionally gripping and daring roles in hopes of earning award season buzz. Some call it Oscar bait when an actor takes on a role that is considered “out of the box.” So, when a cisgender male actor takes on the role of an individual who was known for being one of the first recipients of gender reassignment surgery, the Oscar bait was tossed into the ocean. In The Danish Girl, Eddie Redmayne portrayed Lili Elbe, a transgender woman, and it was met with much scrutiny. And this was before the shock of the historical inaccuracies taken with the story itself.
Redmayne’s casting sparked an incredibly important broader discussion in Hollywood about who could — and should — play particular roles. Redmayne acknowledged the controversy, telling Indiewire it’s an “incredibly important discussion.” After some reflection, Redmayne came out to admit that he wasn’t sure if he should have accepted the role, despite making the film with the best intentions. The Danish Girl was meant to be a film that portrayed trans joy, but Redmayne’s casting had damaged that chance. Perhaps had a transgender performer taken on the part, The Danish Girl would have been on the right side of history.
8
Johnny Depp as Tonto
‘The Lone Ranger’ (2013)
Johnny Depp as Tonto in ‘The Lone Ranger’ (2013)Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
With audiences having a longstanding affinity for Westerns, Disney felt strongly about bringing familiar characters, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, back to the big screen in the big-budget Western The Lone Ranger. With Gore Verbinski at the helm, it seemed as if he’d jumpstart a new franchise, especially since he was reuniting with Johnny Depp. Only, the problem was that Depp wasn’t cast as The Lone Ranger. That role went to Armie Hammer. No, no. Depp was cast as Tonto. The character is a Comanche warrior who wears black-and-white face paint and a deceased crow on his head. Certainly, this casting was problematic, but Depp fervently defended his casting.
As his casting made the rounds, Depp came out to insist that he was certain he had Native American ancestry, possibly from his great-grandmother. Hoping to “right the wrongs of the past”, in reference to portrayals of Native American culture in the media, Depp stood proudly in his casting. Regardless of his mission, the film was critically panned, scrapping any hopes of a sequel.
7
Russell Crowe as Javert
‘Les Misérables’ (2012)
Russell Crowe in Les Misérables.Image via Universal Pictures
Adapting Les Misérables for the screen was not going to be easy, and yet, Tom Hooper made it even more difficult for himself. One of the boldest, most daring decisions the director opted to make with the award-winning adaptation was to film his actors singing live. This was a major departure from most movie musicals, in which actors lip-synced to their recorded tracks. Nevertheless, one would think Hooper would employ a cast of trained singers to embark on this daring journey. As much as he tried, he still brought in Oscar-winner Russell Crowe to play the crucial role of the story’s villain, Javert.
Not only was he facing off against Hugh Jackman’s Jean Valjean, but his singing ability was most certainly about to be compared. And it was abysmal. The emotional performance from Crowe would have been praised in a non-musical version of the film, but as an operetta, Crowe floundered pitifully. Hooper defended his decision, believing Crowe’s ability to hold attention on camera was more important; the raw performance ultimately diminished the film’s optimal potential. Realism, integrity, and emotional vulnerability aside, we still had to listen to him!
6
Daniel Craig as James Bond
James Bond Franchise (2005-2021)
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall (2012)Image via Sony Pictures
Looking back at his tenure as 007, Daniel Craig was quite good. He brought a different approach to the beloved agent. But his casting was divisive because he was so different from the James Bonds before him. There was a type to the type of actor who played the agent. With a heavy campaign during production, naysayers of the casting focused heavily on the image of Daniel Craig. His casting, in the dissenters’ opinion, strayed to fit the tall, dark, handsome, and charismatic image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed. The 5’10” actor was deemed “James Blonde” due to the “untraditional” casting. And yet, after his debut in Casino Royale, Craig’s performance was widely praised. So much so that he returned for four more Bond films, ultimately believed to be the closest portrayal to creator Ian Fleming’s original concept.
As we embark on the heavy discussions and rumors of who should replace Craig in the part, we’re destined to have a resurgence of joy and complaints from James Bond fans. No matter who gets the part, stay strong. Call Craig and get some advice regarding the litany of comments they’re about to face. If I were to pick, my vote is going toward our first gay 007, People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Jonathan Bailey.
5
Tilda Swinton as Ancient One
‘Doctor Strange’ (2016)
Let’s get it out of the way: the character of Ancient One was drastically altered from the Marvel comic for Doctor Strange, which is why there was a swift defense of Tilda Swinton. But these drastic decisions caused an uproar over her divisive casting. In the comics, The Ancient One was depicted as a Tibetan man, but to avoid the Asian Fu Manchu and the potential Dragon Lady stereotypes should they simply switch genders, the character was reconceptualized as a Celtic woman. Drawing on the androgyny of Swinton, the character developed a newfound aura of domineering, secrecy, ethereality, enigma, and mystique.
Even though Marvel was able to avoid the wise sage Asian man character, the decision was a wake-up call for future decisions on how to adapt potentially controversial characters in the MCU. Despite the ethnic and gender diversity in the film and high-profile casting, in the end, Swinton’s portrayal was decently received, but the whitewashing criticism persisted.
4
Emma Stone as Captain Allison Ng
‘Aloha’ (2015)
Emma Stone as Allison Ng in AlohaImage via Sony Pictures Releasing
Cameron Crowe has been a Hollywood stalwart thanks to his directorial successes, including Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous. But when it came to his 2015 film Aloha, he made a crucial mistake. Aloha tells the story of former US Air Force officer Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) as he returns to Hawaii after being rehired by a former boss to oversee the launch of a privatized weapons satellite in the skies over Hawaii. Written, co-produced, and directed by Crowe, the film was a typical romantic comedy, but the casting of Emma Stone became a massive point of contention. Stone played Air Force pilot Captain Allison Ng. The problem was that the character was written as being one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian. Stone’s character was complex — much of her image, identity, and heritage were part of a struggle — but that didn’t soften the swell of angry individuals.
The film and casting were met with swift backlash, with Crowe apologizing and the studio doubling down that the film was a celebration of the “spirit and culture of the Hawaiian people.” For her part, Stone regretted her decision to take the role and acknowledged whitewashing as a widespread problem in Hollywood while echoing her director’s defense of the character. As of publication, Aloha is the last film Crowe has directed.
3
Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi
‘Ghost in the Shell’ (2017)
Scarlett Johansson as Major in Ghost in the ShellImage via Paramount Pictures
When we get to the final two casting mistakes, we’ll discuss how Hollywood was vastly different back in the day. Unfortunately, that excuse simply does not hold up when it comes to Scarlett Johansson’s casting in Ghost in the Shell. Lifting a beloved anime to an American film adaptation, Johansson’s casting as Major Motoko Kusanagi was widely scrutinized. Though there were other non-Japanese actors cast in the film, Johansson’s high-profile stardom caused a flurry of whitewashing allegations. Despite the opinion of Mamoru Oshii, the anime’s original director, the public opinion backlash haunted the film, with some questioning the actress as to why she even accepted the part, pointing toward Stone’s own backlash years before.
The drama that surrounded the film revolved around CGI testing, which included making the actress look more Asian. The creative team preferred Johansson’s career and cyberpunk auto over the controversy. Though Johansson came out stating, “I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person. Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive,” the drama was not over, as a final twist in the film revealed her character was originally a Japanese girl but had her brain placed into the body of a white-passing robot. This casting has haunted Johansson since the film came out, being the butt of many jokes, including at the 2019 Golden Globes when co-host Sandra Oh dropped a double whammy mocking Johansson and Stone’s divisive casting.
2
John Wayne as Temujin/Genghis Khan
‘The Conqueror’ (1956)
John Wayne as Genghis Khan, standing outside beside a horse in The ConquerorImage via RKO Radio Pictures
Sometimes, extraordinary actors make extraordinarily terrible decisions. Unfortunately, the world was a very different place when The Conqueror was made. Playing a historically inaccurate Genghis Khan, John Wayne has a stain on his remarkable resume. Most notably remembered as a beloved cowboy, he played an ethnically inappropriate version of the conqueror that was critically panned. Beyond how it’s cultural appropriation, the All-American cowboy is so miscast that the performance almost teeters on parody. Unfortunately, he takes his part so seriously that it comes across as simply abysmal.
Unlike the upcoming film and casting, The Conqueror is regarded as one of the worst films of all time. Sadly, there’s nothing redeeming about Wayne’s depiction, with his abhorrent and misguided bravado. I think this is one film he would have loved to be wiped from our collective memories.
1
Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi
‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Much has changed as far as what is and isn’t politically correct. When the film adaptation of Truman Capote‘s Breakfast at Tiffany’s was produced, whitewashing casting was the norm. But that didn’t make it right. So, the combination of having a beloved and extraordinary actor portray an Asian character in one of the most beloved and exceptional films does not sit well today, especially a film that is still considered a classic. Mickey Rooney’s high-profile status is a major factor in why we frown on this casting today.
Audrey Hepburn is a treasure in this timeless classic, but from a modern lens, there’s a forever cloud hovering above the film. Portraying landlord Mr. Yunioshi, Rooney leaned into lazy, stereotypical jokes and over-the-top prosthetics to hammer home just how inconsiderate and inappropriate the performance was. Becoming one of the most insensitive caricatures in cinema history, this casting sadly has not aged well, yet not to the point of eliminating it from existence. Rooney, upset at the allegations, has spoken out against the tasteless portrayal, explaining why it was an unfortunate moment in cinema history.
- Release Date
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October 6, 1961
- Runtime
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115minutes
- Director
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Blake Edwards
- Writers
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Truman Capote, George Axelrod